This recipe is probably 50 years old - Mom made it for us, and now I make it for our kids - they love these bars. Enjoy!
These cookies are delicious! Five tips I learned after baking them a few times: 1) Hermits are an antique cookie dating back to colonial times. White flour was not available until the late 1800s, so these taste wonderful w/ the original whole wheat as long as you get fresh flour. Whole wheat flour should not be bitter. If it is, it is rancid and should be replaced w/ a different brand. 2) The problem w/ the sticky texture is caused by the egg, probably a recent addition to the recipe. I made it w/o the egg & the dough was easier to handle, & results superb. 3) Don't mix the soda w/ the coffe. Put it w/ the dry ingredients so it retains its leavening power. 4) A tasty variation is to sub frozen oj concentrate & grated orange zest for the coffee. This version needs less sugar. 5) It can be made as a single 1/3" layer instead of strips, cooked a few minutes more, & sliced while warm, if you'd rather not fiddle w/ the dough. Also I agree w/ reviewers who recommend increasing the spices. These end up the tastiest "healthy" cookie I've ever had.
Read MoreThis was OK. I made it for a high school bake sale because the reviews were so good but then I was disappointed. If I had to describe it, without the raisins, the texture reminds me of the walls of a gingerbread house we make at Christmas. As for the taste, it tastes like a graham cracker but with a lot less sugar and a lot less crispy. This is a soft cookie but crispy on edges. I drizzled some white almond bark on top and woh did it make a difference. It made a good presentation and actually brought out the flavors of the cookie.
Read MoreThese cookies are delicious! Five tips I learned after baking them a few times: 1) Hermits are an antique cookie dating back to colonial times. White flour was not available until the late 1800s, so these taste wonderful w/ the original whole wheat as long as you get fresh flour. Whole wheat flour should not be bitter. If it is, it is rancid and should be replaced w/ a different brand. 2) The problem w/ the sticky texture is caused by the egg, probably a recent addition to the recipe. I made it w/o the egg & the dough was easier to handle, & results superb. 3) Don't mix the soda w/ the coffe. Put it w/ the dry ingredients so it retains its leavening power. 4) A tasty variation is to sub frozen oj concentrate & grated orange zest for the coffee. This version needs less sugar. 5) It can be made as a single 1/3" layer instead of strips, cooked a few minutes more, & sliced while warm, if you'd rather not fiddle w/ the dough. Also I agree w/ reviewers who recommend increasing the spices. These end up the tastiest "healthy" cookie I've ever had.
These were very good-- I'd just make a few changes to make them even better! Add about 3/4 cups extra flour to make sure the dough is "dough-y" enough, and chill for half an hour before trying to shape it. Make sure the coffee is strong so you get the flavor, and I added some ginger to add a kick to it. Also, these cookies spread and puff up, so make sure there's about 2 inches between the long strips on the cookie sheet-- I'd use two separate sheets.
Much to my father's dismay, our local bakery outlet store (Freihofer's) discontinued making their Hermit Bar Cookies. I've tried several recipes and this comes the closest to the original. When I made them as bars, they never baked to the right consistency, so I tried them as drop cookies and they're perfect. (12 minutes per batch, same temperature - I also chopped the 1 cup raisins for better consistency). This will be a keeper in our family now for generations!
Thank you so very much for a recipe that really brings me back to my childhood. My mother used to buy these cookies at for me the Danvers Port Bakery in Massachusetts as a treat! These are even better! I love love love them! What more can I say! Are these cookies East coast thing? I asked many people if they had heard of them (I live in California now) and they had never heard of them.
WOW! These are FANTASTIC!!! I love hermits, but I've never made them with coffee before. Holy cow did these receive a great amount of praise from the 20 people I served a double batch to. They were all gone. A definate keeper!!!
These are wonderful. My husband used to get them in the north end. A part of Boston Ma. as a child with his parents. The coffee is what makes the flavor. Like a rich spice cake. He is so happy I found this recipe. He does want more raisin's next time
This is the real thing,I sugest you add more raisins.and eggwash the top (1 egg 1 tablespoon of milk whipped together with a fork before bakeing )use a pizza cutter to cut these also refriderate the dough for 1 hour it is easyer to handie roll out on a flourered cutting board
This recipe took me back to my hometown of New Bedford, MA where people even KNEW what hermits were. This is a great recipe. This is what I grew up with! The dough was a little mushy to work with, and I made the bars too fat and short, but next time, might chill it a little to make it easier to work with. I live in GA now, and brought some in to fellow NE Yankees who also LOVED it. Easy to make aside from the sloppy dough. This is a KEEPER.
Different than any cookie I've made before, but nice. I don't generally like strong molasses flavors, but the coffee (I made it extra strong, almost like espresso) gives it an entirely different twist. I added 1c chocolate chips, and I like the combination. Might be nice with nuts as well. The dough was really soft and ended up spreading into essentially one big cookie in the oven, but it cooked OK without burning; next time I'll add the extra flour someone else suggested. It does seem like a cookie that would be tasty with ginger and orange zest as well.
I made this recipe with whole wheat flour (same amount) and it was excellent. Even had some neighbors who have eaten hermits from several sources try them and they agreed.
After reading all the other reviews I decided to make half the flour whole wheat, use an extra 3/4 cup of flour, add 1 teaspoon ginger, double the amount of raisins, add 3/4 cup of chopped pecans and chill the dough for an hour before shaping the bars. Fantastic cookies! My husband loved them. They were just like the ones I used to make in a little local bakery when I was in high school. I put colored sprinkles on the long bars before baking them. So pretty and so delicious!
Yes, these cookies are an East Coast recipe. These truly are "the best". Chewy, moist, great combination of flavors. These are in my top 5 all time favourite cookies. They turn out well every time.
Absolutely delicious. I made exactly as written, except that I divided my dough into 3 strips, so baked for 20 minutes instead of the recommended time. This is definitely a keeper.
One of my favorites from my childhood.The coffee is an improvement to what I thought was great recipe (same as Mom's). I did use whole wheat flour,added an extra 1/4 cup of flour & plumped the raisins in the coffee. The recipe has a permanent place in my recipe box!!!Try it you'll like it.
WOW these were great! We were looking for a recipe to bring us back to our childhood (my aunt - his grandmother), these came out sooo good. Didn't have cloves so I used nutmeg and a dash of ginger, also added @ 1/3 c applesauce. used 1/2 golden 1/2 reg raisins (approx 1 1/2 cups all together) added 1 c mini choc chips. baked in 9x13 greased pan 20 min and did 1 sheet of cookies 12 min both excellent - I think better than my aunts ssshhhh
I absolutely love this recipe and thank you for sharing. I would not change anything other than I should make it more often. This reminds me of my Memere which always loved a good hermit.
This was OK. I made it for a high school bake sale because the reviews were so good but then I was disappointed. If I had to describe it, without the raisins, the texture reminds me of the walls of a gingerbread house we make at Christmas. As for the taste, it tastes like a graham cracker but with a lot less sugar and a lot less crispy. This is a soft cookie but crispy on edges. I drizzled some white almond bark on top and woh did it make a difference. It made a good presentation and actually brought out the flavors of the cookie.
Delicious molasses bar/cookie. They are soft, moist, and tasty. I might prefer to drop these to make a cookie but either way they are good. I'll make these again.
As a New Englander who is very familiar with hermits, I thought these very authentic, easy to make, and were a big hit with my family. I did add just a touch more flour (1/4 c.) and let the dough rest in the fridge for an hour to make it easier to handle. Once I made my "logs" (quite ugly), I brushed them with eggwash and sprinkled them with some granulated sugar (I think turbinado would have been better but I had none on hand). I baked them for a little longer than stated in the recipe, about 18 minutes. Definitely a keeper.
These are fabulous hermit cookies. Just the right amount of clove and cinnamon. They taste great and make your kitchen smell like the holidays! I used cranberris instead of raisins -added a more New England touch to the cookie. I also sprinkled unbaked cookie rolls with Turbinado sugar before baking. Gives them a little extra sweetness and sparkle!
These are terrific - easy to make and tasty! I used one-and-a-half cups each all-purpose and whole wheat flour and they were delish!
These were EXACTLY what I was looking for when I went searching for a hermit cookie recipe. I added dried cranberries and walnuts and replaced the cinnamon and cloves with pumpkin pie spice, and cooked them in a jelly roll pan as a bar cookie. Couldn't keep my hands off them. Word to the wise if you read the other reviews. I tried them with extra flour as one person suggested and they came out too dry. I thought they were perfect just as the recipe stated.
Love these cookies! I found the spices to be adequate but next time I will increase by one half and add some walnuts. (just a personal choice)
Those who like gingerbread will like these cookies. Some of my coworkers said they were "old lady cookies" as in, they are served at grandparents' houses. But, they'll be served here at my house quite often!
I spread the batter out on a cookie sheet didn't use raisins and put a glaze flavored with orange juice and ginger over the top. Received many compliments. Thanks for the recipe!
I've never heard of Hermit Bar cookies, but these are outstanding. The only change I made was to add some vanilla, and I subbed the white sugar for 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar and 1/2 cup of splenda. I also increased the spices to 1.5 teaspoons of each. This is definitely one of the best cookies on this site!
Great flavor. My home was filled with the aroma of these cookies and when they came out of the oven I wasn't disappointed. I added more flour as one reviewer suggested and the spices were heaping tsp. plus ginger.
These were good - not like the hermit bars I remember from the school cafeteria of my childhood - these are a bit cakier and not as spicy - but I felt these had decent flavor. Only change was to add about 1/2 tsp of nutmeg, and I shaped mine into two wider logs instead of four for wider cookies. Next time I think I will try half brown sugar and half white.
These are delicious! I just made them and my whole house smells fantastic! I WILL make these again! :) Thank you!
Excellent Hermits! I did refrigerate for about 45 minutes before cooking and they came out perfect. Added some extra raisins :0)
My husband and I were served Hermit cookies at a B&B in Maine last year, and we loved them. We are from the midwest and had never heard of these. Finally had a chance yesterday to try and make them myself and used this recipe. I did replace 1/2 cup white sugar with brown sugar, and replaced 1 t gr cloves with 1/2 t gr cloves and 1/2 t nutmeg. I also glazed them with a vanilla glaze. Husband, kids, brother, and father all loved them and insisted I make more for the holidays.
These are very tasty... just finished 2 with a big glass of milk! I had a bit of a challenge with the "4 long strips". I won't even describe what the first one looked like. I ended up making 1" balls, flatten slightly with a fork and made as cookies instead. I did add the extra flour as well. I also soaked the raisins first. I would certainly make these again.
This is an excellent and easy hermit recipe. It's very authentic, with the great molasses flavor. I generally add an extra half cup or so of flour to make the dough easier to handle. My family absolutely loves these!
Very good; texture is similar to a soft ginger bread cookie. I used butter and added walnuts.
My brother-in-law liked these so much he hid them from his roomie! Thank you for sharing!
Smells that great black strap aroma!!! And here we go again August 22, 2019 see pix! And here we go again September 1, 2019 see pix!
I have never tried these cookie bars before. They looked as if they were undoubtedly tasty at the store. Though addicting! And dense. (which I like) I added the extra 3/4 cup of flour (used white whole wheat), and added the ginger also. Maybe I will add more spices next time as well as the ginger. I really want to get that spicy flavor. They came out like a cakey texture, which was "lighter" on the stomach. I love that soft gooey spot in the center! Delicious, I will make this again!
Wonderful reminder of childhood. However I did something my mom always did...I completely spread out the dough into a jelly roll pan and baked until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean...to spread the somewhat sticky dough, dip a table spoon in cold water and spread with back of spoon
Love these so much my grandpa can't get enough I make them for every occasion!
Made these cookies a while ago and I must say they we're the best cookies I have ever tasted!! Everyone who tried them loved them and asked when I was going to make more. The cinnamon and raisins give them a sweet ness without being too sweet. I would love to make these again and will if my friends have anything to say about it
I've been looking for a molasses-type "cookie" & this is the first one I've tried. It is a bit stronger in over-all flavor than I anticipated, but maybe more important is that it is not as sweet as I would've liked. I am definitely adding some icing this time, and am wondering how brown sugar would do next time, either that or just add more sugar.
Made these with currants instead of raisins and dusted them with powdered sugar after cutting. Recommend cooking them closer to 12 minutes than 15 - they get hard/try to burn. Chewy is how you want these. Will make these again - thinking pecans, dried sour cherries and possibly mini chocolate chips!
These have a nice flavor--but I'd double the spices and add some chopped walnuts next time, I think. I did add some ginger and grated orange zest. One problem I have with the recipe is that it says to bake for 12-15 minutes, but not how to tell when it's done. Typically, a recipe with a time range will say "this long, or until it looks/feels like this." I think I might have underbaked them a little ...
Meh - not enough flavor and not spicy at all. I found the bars to be difficult to form because the dough was very soft. The edges of the bars overcooked before the centers were done. I had to ice them just to give them a little oomph. Will keep looking for a hermit recipe.
This recipe is fabulous--just like I remember as a child! Perfect amount of sweetness and spice. I had a little extra coffee, so I soaked the raisins in it before adding them. I dropped them by the heaping tablespoon onto a baking sheet and they spread to the perfect thickness and size. A real big hit with the family!
I've made these 2X. First time I made them exactly according to the recipe. They were delicious and quickly disappeared. I am a raisin lover. The 2nd time I doubled the raisins. I was in heaven. But one cup or two cups-they are scrumptious!
We love these cookies! I make them into cookies rather than bars and I took the advice of one of the reviewers. I omitted the egg and dropped the white sugar to 3/4 cup. I have never made them any other way, so I don't know if there is a difference in taste. I make these when my husband and I feel fat and we need to lose a little weight. They don't help us lose weight, but they are a whole bunch better for us than Oreos, our other favorite!
I give this recipe a 4 for Hermits, but a 5 for cookies. I needed to add almost 1 cup extra flour to make it stiff enough to spread out. I actually think the dough is supposed to be stiff enough to roll out and mine was nowhere near that, even with the extra flour. The hermits I remember from my teen years working in a bakery were dense and chewy, but these were puffy and fluffy. As a cookie, they are great. And my son says "they just get better and better every day." But I'm going to try a few changes to see if I can get them closer to what I remember.
These were OK. Not the best cookie ever, but not the worst. I made it exactly as the recipe states, and I felt they lacked something. They were not super sweet or super flavorful, just kind of average. So I made the "Vanilla Glaze" from this website and drizzled it over the top of the cookies. This fixed them and made them really good!
This reminds me of the hermits my great grand aunt made for us when I was little. Simple, yet delicious! Thank you, I will make these again.
Too mushy. Needs more flour to thicken it. Also needs a teaspoon of ginger.
I followed directions exactly. These came out fabulous. I baked on parchment paper and they cane out nice. I also put a white glaze on them also from allrecipes. Thank you. Delicious!
After reading all the suggestions added ginger made a test batch and then did recipe again making a double batch. 1/2 whole wheat 1/2 all purpose flour, 1/2 sugar 1/2 brown sugar, 1 & 1/2 tsp clove. I used powdered sugar to help roll the logs
Excellent recipe! I've made it with the lesser amount of flour stated in the original recipe. Was actually surprised at how dry the dough was (though the air had been quite dry so that probably factored in quite a bit) so I added more coffee to make a very slightly wet dough and chilled it a bit. Perfect chew and texture. Did increase the spice levels as we prefer a more pronounced heat but YMMV.
Finally found a very close recipe to my mother’s great Hermit cookies. Only made a couple minor changes: used 1/2 brown & 1/2 white sugar, only 1/3 cup molasses, added 1/2 t. ginger and 1/2 t. nutmeg, and 1 cup chopped pecans (because my mother did). TBSP sized drop cookies @ 12 minutes was perfect. Thanx so much for the memories!
Very good; I am looking for something a little more chewy as I remember Grandma making.
These bars are wonderful. I did not change a thing in this recipe. They seemed to have the perfect blend of spices and I love the texture. I loved the "biscotti" way of making them. I have enough molasses left to make them one more time. Thank you AUNT MAMIE for sharing this recipe.
Didn't have shortening so substituted 1/2 cup butter plus 1 tbsp. Still delicious!
I'm still in search of a hermit recipe that actually tastes like the hermits I grew up with. These are not quite there yet. Included the 1 egg, but used 1/2 Wheat 1/2 white flour. The cooking time was off. I had to cook for about 30 minutes (made 2 logs 4"x 8"x3/4" thick). I increased the spices, per other reviewers and added ginger, and stronger coffee. Flavor is still mild and texture is very cake-like not chewy.
These were common while growing up in New England, and these tasted like I remember them, spicy and slightly chewy. I added extra raisins and a little vanilla. A 30 minute chill in the fridge, and wet hands tamed the sticky dough. The suggestion of some ginger sounds like a good idea.
Love the molasses & coffee and spice combo! I made a few changes, mostly based on reviews of others: -increased the cinnamon and added ginger -omitted egg and added 1/4 c flour (I live at a higher altitude, so more flour is always helpful) -used parchment paper instead of greasing the pan -increased cooking time to about 18 minutes -added semi-sweet chocolate chips & walnuts
These are just like the Hermit's we had as kids and we LOVE them !! I do as many have suggested and add an extra 1/2 cup of flour and they come out perfect! To make it easier, we just drop balls of the dough and make round cookies. This just saves a little extra time. This recipe rocks !! Thank you
I used part whole wheat flourl and had to use more flour than called for because the dough was so moist and sticky. Even so, it was a difficult (miserable) dough to work with. I'm not sure the effort is worth it for an average cookie. I can do better at my local bakery.
Very good. I spread the dough a little too thin so they weren’t as high as I would like. Next time I will do the dough thicker. My grandkids didn’t like them because of the raisins. I will try them without next time. I loved them. And will make them again.
I'm still in search of a hermit recipe that actually tastes like the hermits I grew up with. These are not quite there yet. Included the 1 egg, but used 1/2 Wheat 1/2 white flour. The cooking time was off. I had to cook for about 30 minutes (made 2 logs 4"x 8"x3/4" thick). I increased the spices, per other reviewers and added ginger, and stronger coffee. Flavor is still mild and texture is very cake-like not chewy.
I mad these for my husband, I usually hate the taste of molases and these were pretty good, nice and moist and my husband loved them.
These came out drier than I like. It was difficult to work with too sticky. Will try again with the wheat flour plus a little more flour and chill for an hour. Then use coffee extract for a stronger flavor along with adding some ginger. A few more raisins would not hurt anything . Will try making the drop cookies and see if this turns out compared to the bars that I grew up with.
This is one of my favorite cookies! The recipe is easy to make and I will add this to my recipe box as they got many compliments. Do not over cook as they become a softer, less cake-like cookie. Making them as bars and then cutting into cookie squares is just how I remember them as a child. Yummy hermits!
I'm a grandma now,, and these are THE original, the ones my gram made for me.. 50+ years ago
I made this recipe twice, the first time i made it as is. The second time I added 1 Table spoon of Molasses and 1/2 Teaspoon more of Clove.
Very good! Just a little too heavy on the cloves for my taste but my husband loved them. The dough was too soft for rolling so I dropped big spoonfuls onto parchment paper. Tastes just as good no matter the shape. I would make these again.
Easy and delicious. Will definitely make it again. I was out of cloves but still very good. Discovered that Penzy's has cloves cheaper than my local grocer. Eager to make them again with the cloves.
I followed the instructions and even with an extra 1/2 cup or so of flower it was way to soft to form into loafs so I poured it into a large baking pan and it came out great. I had to cook it for about 35 minutes until the center piece was done enough. I also substituted the raise s with candied dates and this worked out great. I guess when you cook you roll with the punches and try different things and in the end it usually comes out just fine.
Delicious! The dough was quite soft and a challenge to handle. I used a well floured board, pressed the 1/4 portion of dough by hand in to a rectangle and put it on the greased cookie sheet. Then used a glass to roll it out to the desired length. A rolling pin would have a better option but mine is too long to fit inside the cookie sheet. Also, used an egg wash before baking as suggested in another comment. I just made them for my mother’s 88th birthday tomorrow. There was another cookie recipe lined up as a backup, just in case, but will not be needing it! My Mom grew up just outside of Boston and these are one of her favorites. I didn’t know Hermit Bars were particular to this region (learned that in a comment). Mom probably grew up enjoying them and I’m sure she will tomorrow, as well!
